According to a new report by CTV News, economic woes in the U.S. are driving a record number of Americans across the northern border as they seek better job opportunities and cheaper education in Canada.

In 2011, Ottawa approved 34,185 visas for U.S. residents — a figure that falls just short of the all-time record of 35,060 approved visas in 2010. By comparison, fewer than 20,000 Canadians moved to the U.S. over the past two years — the lowest number in nearly a decade.[ More Political Points: Is Calgary becoming the new Toronto? ]

It wasn't always this way.

When I was in university — back in the late 1990s — my economics professor asked how many of us intended to move to the United States. Almost all of us, fourth-year macroeconomics students, raised our hands.

It was the 'brain-drain' era: the American economy was strong and many of Canada's best and brightest were heading south to find work. Both the media and and politicians dubbed the exodus a crisis; studies were commissioned and papers were written.

But what a difference a decade makes.

"Since the 2008 economic crises, we have witnessed a steady stream of Americans applying for Canadian work visas," Canadian immigration attorney Michael Niren told Yahoo! Canada News in an email exchange on Thursday.

"The main reason for this is lack of employment in the U.S. and our strong Canadian dollar."

Niren says most Americans who come to Canada do so through the expedited "NAFTA visa" process which requires applicants to have a Canadian job offer in one of 63 recognized occupations. The U.S. has a similar temporary visa — the TN visa — for Canadians who want to work there.

For the time being, however, it appears Canada's brain drain has been plugged.

According to a new report by CTV News, economic woes in the U.S. are driving a record number of Americans across the northern border as they seek better job opportunities and cheaper education in Canada.

In 2011, Ottawa approved 34,185 visas for U.S. residents — a figure that falls just short of the all-time record of 35,060 approved visas in 2010. By comparison, fewer than 20,000 Canadians moved to the U.S. over the past two years — the lowest number in nearly a decade.[ More Political Points: Is Calgary becoming the new Toronto? ]

It wasn't always this way.

When I was in university — back in the late 1990s — my economics professor asked how many of us intended to move to the United States. Almost all of us, fourth-year macroeconomics students, raised our hands.

It was the 'brain-drain' era: the American economy was strong and many of Canada's best and brightest were heading south to find work. Both the media and and politicians dubbed the exodus a crisis; studies were commissioned and papers were written.

But what a difference a decade makes.

"Since the 2008 economic crises, we have witnessed a steady stream of Americans applying for Canadian work visas," Canadian immigration attorney Michael Niren told Yahoo! Canada News in an email exchange on Thursday.

"The main reason for this is lack of employment in the U.S. and our strong Canadian dollar."

Niren says most Americans who come to Canada do so through the expedited "NAFTA visa" process which requires applicants to have a Canadian job offer in one of 63 recognized occupations. The U.S. has a similar temporary visa — the TN visa — for Canadians who want to work there.

For the time being, however, it appears Canada's brain drain has been plugged.

He keeps wagging the right like there's no tomorrow. It's funny to watch.

yea, he keeps looking like a freaking butthead. His only glory moment was sitting there watching Alex Jones flip out. Other than that he's been owned by his guests. The guy is about to get his face tugged back to the orwellian shithole he came from.

All affluent people will leave the USA. It is going to become a hellhole.

I doubt this, but I wouldn't mind moving to the French or German countryside. On the other hand, even though it is still the U.S. Hawaii seems pretty nice right now since it is winter were I live and somewhat dismal and cold.

It's not about the number of immigrants or emigrants. It's the quality.

Silly americants playing the size game once again.

Why don't you tell us about Canada's open door policy when it came to immigrants for many years? I remember when I lived in Williams Lake B.C. that the locals absolutely despised all the East Indians who had moved there and lived in (if you can believe this) a ghetto outside of town. A friend of mine who is Canadian complains bitterly about the folks who immigrated from Somalia and, according to him, live off the dole and commit most of the crimes there. Yep, let's do move to Canada where we can freeze our asses off, pay twice what real estate is worth, have substandard healthcare and still face the same problems in Canada's cities as the U.S. has in theirs.

Why don't you tell us about Canada's open door policy when it came to immigrants for many years? I remember when I lived in Williams Lake B.C. that the locals absolutely despised all the East Indians who had moved there and lived in (if you can believe this) a ghetto outside of town. A friend of mine who is Canadian complains bitterly about the folks who immigrated from Somalia and, according to him, live off the dole and commit most of the crimes there. Yep, let's do move to Canada where we can freeze our asses off, pay twice what real estate is worth, have substandard healthcare and still face the same problems in Canada's cities as the U.S. has in theirs.

Why don't you tell us about Canada's open door policy when it came to immigrants for many years? I remember when I lived in Williams Lake B.C. that the locals absolutely despised all the East Indians who had moved there and lived in (if you can believe this) a ghetto outside of town. A friend of mine who is Canadian complains bitterly about the folks who immigrated from Somalia and, according to him, live off the dole and commit most of the crimes there. Yep, let's do move to Canada where we can freeze our asses off, pay twice what real estate is worth, have substandard healthcare and still face the same problems in Canada's cities as the U.S. has in theirs.

They'll be sorry. It is damn cold in Canada, especially in the winter.

Hahaha, you got that right!A friend of mine who is originally from Ontario, but has been living between Beverly Hills & Palm Springs, just recently came back to Ontario to visit his elderly grandmother. Less than 4 hours of arriving in Canada, he is screaming on Facebook about how cold it is. lol Poor guy. He went from 75 degrees in the shade, to subzero weather, and snow everywhere. I don't think he's handling the temperature difference very well. Good thing he didn't arrive a week ago when it was wicked cold in the minus 30 below range and wind gusts up to 73 km.

Hahaha, you got that right!A friend of mine who is originally from Ontario, but has been living between Beverly Hills & Palm Springs, just recently came back to Ontario to visit his elderly grandmother. Less than 4 hours of arriving in Canada, he is screaming on Facebook about how cold it is. lol Poor guy. He went from 75 degrees in the shade, to subzero weather, and snow everywhere. I don't think he's handling the temperature difference very well. Good thing he didn't arrive a week ago when it was wicked cold in the minus 30 below range and wind gusts up to 73 km.

ontario is a huge province (roughly 3 times the size of california) and weather varies enormously throughout...

if he's bitching about the weather in southern ontario, he's just a pussy

Canada is a big country. Perhaps where you live is idealistic. Since I don't know where you live, it is difficult to comment on it. I live in a suburb of Portland, OR called West Linn. Most of the Portland metro area is a great place for anyone to call home. I suspect too much emphasis is put on troubled big cities like Detroit by the media. Detroit, Chicago,DC and NYC are not the norm though out the U.S. There are untold numbers of cities like Portland, which are great places to live from every aspect.

Prime isn't exactly accurate, but what he lacks in accuracy, he makes up for with passion.

Damn, this is disappointing because I value logic above passion.

I am not sure where I am not accurate since I am not stating anything as fact but simply opinion which is partially based on personal experience, albeit a long time ago experience. Williams Lake is probably very different today then it was almost 40 years ago. My friend who complains about immigrants from Somalia, is definitely a racist and one should take that under consideration when it comes to his observations.

The bottom line is it is wrong for anyone to make generalizations about things which they are not fully informed. Saying that the U.S. is such a hell hole that people are moving to Canada in droves to escape the U.S. is a huge generalization. From what I have heard, Canada has really tightened up their immigration laws. If this is so, I doubt any people from anywhere are not immigrating there in huge numbers.

Just so you know, I would like to immigrate to Southern France. However, I don't think I can afford to live there. It has nothing to do with not liking the U.S. I just think it would be fun to live somewhere different.

ontario is a huge province (roughly 3 times the size of california) and weather varies enormously throughout...

if he's bitching about the weather in southern ontario, he's just a pussy

I have family who live in Albion, MI which is somewhat south of Ontario. The current temperature in Toronto is 19 F. The current temperature in Albion in 30 F. My cousins find this a bit cold, which is why they spend their winters in Florida where the current temperature is 78 F. No matter how you cut it, Ontario is cold.

Oh and just so you know, where I live, the current temperature is, 47 F and cloudy.

I have family who live in Albion, MI which is somewhat south of Ontario. The current temperature in Toronto is 19 F. The current temperature in Albion in 30 F. My cousins find this a bit cold, which is why they spend their winters in Florida where the current temperature is 78 F. No matter how you cut it, Ontario is cold.

Oh and just so you know, where I live, the current temperature is, 47 F and cloudy.

Meh. Winter only increases my appreciation of summer.

Ideally though I'd like to live as a 'snow bird' and spend my winters somewhere warmer. But retirement is a long way off.